Quotes of the day

posted at 10:41 pm on December 18, 2013 by Allahpundit

Long-time Clinton hand John Podesta is in trouble with Republicans just days after joining the Obama White House, after he described the House GOP as a “cult worthy of Jonestown.”

But the comment — considering the severity of the comparison — got Podesta off on the wrong foot with Republican leaders.

“It’s disgraceful and telling that President Obama’s new Counselor is not only comparing the Republican Party to a cult that murdered those who disagreed with them, but is also using that comparison as an argument in support of shredding the Constitution and governing like a third-world dictator,” Rep. Steve Scalise, R-La., chairman of the Republican Study Committee, said in a statement.

Podesta has now apologized for the quote. Sort of. He apologized to John Boehner, and no one else.

“‘In an old interview, my snark got in front of my judgment. I apologize to Speaker Boehner, whom I have always respected,’ Podesta posted on his Twitter account.”

Of course you do darling. The writer of the piece, Glenn Thrush, seemed to have Podesta’s back when he clarified the statement was made before Podesta became chief of staff, earlier, a way way way long time ago, in the Fall. (PS, it’s still fall.)

***

Every Republican in Washington, DC, should read this article on Podesta’s power grab, and those Republicans contemplating working with Democrats on immigration reform should read it twice.

That is the new normal in Washington as long as Obama is still president.

***

There’s not much surprising about the quote. Now that the moderate wing of the Democratic Party has all but disappeared, unhinged rhetoric and uncontrolled temper tantrums characterize much of the left’s discourse. And the modern Democratic Party has an unhealthy fascination with murder fantasy, from their political ads depicting legislators throwing people off a cliff to their columnists’ attachment to effigy executions…

The confirmation that Obama wants a divisive partisan steering his second-term agenda isn’t exactly breaking news, and neither is the fact that he wants to ignore Congress and continue amassing power in the executive branch. But it’s significant precisely because it isn’t surprising. None of this would constitute a change of course for Obama, but a change of course can often be a productive way for a president to salvage a second term from the challenge of lame-duck status and diminishing political capital…

Clinton was more open to compromise with Republicans after his reelection because he didn’t “need Republicans as a foil anymore.” But for Obama, the campaign never ends, so the need for a foil is always there. Because the campaign never ends, serious governing–as opposed to executive power grabs and bureaucratic rulemaking–never begins. The perfect candidate for this job, the president believes, is John Podesta. And Podesta seems to agree.

***

It’s an interesting metaphor, increasingly common — how often have you heard references to “drinking the Kool-Aid”? — but it’s worth recalling Jim Jones was, before his horrific, sadistic end, an increasingly influential figure in California politics, particularly Democratic Party politics…

In 1977, facing increasing media scrutiny of allegations of abuse of his followers, Jones moved to Guyana, and renamed it after himself. The rest is gruesome, horrific history, culminating in the November 1978 cyanide poisoning of 909 members of the cult, including more than 300 children.

The profile goes on detail how Podesta is going to be focused less on policy but on reenergizing “a depleted, exhausted” White House staff—and with them, Obama supporters in key positions who recently, and in an especially unseemly fashion, have been flirting publicly with the notion that President Obama is a spent political force.

With this profile, POLITICO clarifies for a nervous political media establishment that the president is not ramping down, he’s amped up. His administration is not down for the count just yet. There is plenty of fight left in this old dog. Nothing tickles political reporters like a comeback – particularly that of a Democratic president ready to battle the unreasonable, recalcitrant Republicans in Congress.

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If the Robertson FAMILY decides to stop participating, they can shut the whole thing down by giving the right interviews on the right shows.

And there is squat the “suits” could do about it.

I can’t think of any other show where this would be possible … but THEY are the brand and their demographic is, for my money, PERSONALLY loyal to the family.

Which is why this is such a massively STUPID way to have handled the situation.

Have you ever watched the series?

PolAgnostic on December 19, 2013 at 1:29 AM

Yeah…It’s really stupid…But Moonbats being what they are…

Pope Francis has the same views about Sin as Phil Robertson…

“On Tuesday, The Advocate, the oldest LGBT publication in the United States, took pope-mania to the next level, naming Pope Francis their “Person of the Year.”

Pope Francis said this 3 years ago…

“The war of words continued on Tuesday as church leaders staged large protests around the country against the proposed law. On Sunday, Cardinal Jorge Bergoglio, the archbishop of Buenos Aires, had declared it a “destructive attack on God’s plan.”

Yes. My point is that the corporation owns the name, the brand, the footage, the series, the format. Neither the family nor any other entity could lawfully take that show anywhere.

The family might well try to ruin the brand, but in so doing they’d have to destroy their own business. I don’t see them doing that. Why should they?

Most likely the production would wrap and the show would go into reruns, for which the family members would receive royalties every time an episode runs anywhere. Merchandise would continue to be sold, which will generate a certain percentage of profit for the family members. Every time the brand is mentioned “Duck Dynasty” the family will realize a profit.

Even if production wraps on this series, the profits it generates will continue for all parties to the contract for a long time to come.

They may well decide that they can maintain the show without Phil, but since he’s the patriarch of the family, and the show has been thoroughly centered around the notion of this close family, it’s going to be difficult to separate him out of the mix.

Hard to say… but there are several creative means to salvage the show. We’ll have to see what’s most palatable to the suits and shareholders…and the family.

thatsafactjack on December 19, 2013 at 1:36 AM

It would surprise me if they continued. It’s just not — it’s not the way we do things. But when you listen to them talk away from the show, they see it as a vehicle to get out a message, and the only way I can see them — guess them — going forward is if they think continuing to get the message out is a priority. Though that would surprise most fans of the show, to find out these people are trying to say something to the country. It would surprise libfreeordie’s friend, for example — who was apparently a fan of the show and apparently was surprised to find out X had no arguments with his Bible. So I learned in the other thread.

Sweep the knee – it only takes 25 pounds of force to dislocate a knee and a grandmother can generate that much force with her leg. Dislocate a major joint – ANYONE is going to be laying on the ground screaming in pain.

Plus she remembers everything. Everything. I wrote a Poe line and she cited the source in 2 seconds. Plus she knows guy stuff and has a nice rack. And she knows writing, stories, tree decorating and tango.

Plus she remembers everything. Everything. I wrote a Poe line and she cited the source in 2 seconds. Plus she knows guy stuff and has a nice rack. And she knows writing, stories, tree decorating and tango.

Most likely the production would wrap and the show would go into reruns, for which the family members would receive royalties every time an episode runs anywhere. Merchandise would continue to be sold, which will generate a certain percentage of profit for the family members. Every time the brand is mentioned “Duck Dynasty” the family will realize a profit.

Even if production wraps on this series, the profits it generates will continue for all parties to the contract for a long time to come.

thatsafactjack on December 19, 2013 at 1:42 AM

.
I agree with every single aspect of what you’ve listed but the answer to “Why should they?” is tied to my belief THEIR audience would abandon the reruns, the mechandise, etc IF the FAMILY asked them to do so.

Why should they?

Because they are also generating profits for corporations who have IRREVOCABLY demonstrated they will defend sin over godliness at least as far as Phil has expressed his belief system.

For the people I know who share that value set, continuing to enable the SIN is the same as committing the sin yourself.

This could demonstrate a schism in our society most people blithely ignore.

I think you’re right about the family and any motivation they may have or have had to continue the series.

I think they’ll likely ask themselves if they feel they’ve done all they could, if it’s worth it to them to continue, since it has and would continue to disrupt their lives, and, as I pointed out, this family already had a very successful family enterprise before this series was every created, and they’ll still have it and continuing revenues from the series even if the series is no longer produced.

Really, what’s left that they hope to achieve with the series is the question they’ll most likely be debating.

But one could just as readily say that those brand items and the reruns would stand to remind people specifically of the values of the family, too.

I’ll put this personally. If I were a member of this family, and I’d gone to the enormous trouble, disruption, and inconvenience, sacrificed that much of my personal privacy, to get my message, my views, out to the general public, I’d want those reruns and the brand merchandise to remain out there as long as possible.

Perhaps they’ll see it that way, perhaps they won’t, but it would be the best way for them to continue to see that their message gets to people and to make their efforts pay off the most.

I don’t know for what there you people think you are doing this, but all the off-topic chit chat is offending my relevant offendables, whatever there this is for. I have many relevant offendables, and now they’re sore.

— I am therefore sorely offended.

I’m to Scotland with 10,000 Englishmen to deal with the bloody-handed Macbeth, and then to a well deserved sleep, and then, God willing, to a well-deserved getting up to a day of doing little or nothing.

— damn this refresh button. My infantry awaits, but now I must know:

… and if I told you the reason I haven’t heard anything in 35.5 years, you wouldn’t believe the basis of the falling out.

PolAgnostic on December 19, 2013 at 1:59 AM

I’m prepared to believe pretty much anything. Of late. :)

Spill it before I tread underfoot that murderous tyrant that’s brought nights of thick smokes wherein the shrieks of men are so common they go unremarked?

But one could just as readily say that those brand items and the reruns would stand to remind people specifically of the values of the family, too.

I’ll put this personally. If I were a member of this family, and I’d gone to the enormous trouble, disruption, and inconvenience, sacrificed that much of my personal privacy, to get my message, my views, out to the general public, I’d want those reruns and the brand merchandise to remain out there as long as possible.

Perhaps they’ll see it that way, perhaps they won’t, but it would be the best way for them to continue to see that their message gets to people and to make their efforts pay off the most.

thatsafactjack on December 19, 2013 at 1:57 AM

.
Which leads back to my central point … but I may not be expressing it clearly.

The Robertson family is now a BRAND. I think you would agree with that assessment.

They can get their message out in a dozen different ways with a dozen completely different shows that Disney could do nothing to stop.

They may not own “Duck Dynasty” but everyone knows Duck Commander NOW – so they have options others would never have.

You mention earlier you would love to sit in the negotiations to “sell the brand/show/etc”.

I’d bet you would LOVE even more to be in on the launch of a NEW show with the Robertson family.

If my understanding is correct, head writers of major shows make out pretty well AND you’d have the satisfaction of shaping a message I think you would enjoy communicating.

You know the town better than I ever will … isn’t it likely their are at least three major networks/studios trying to talk the Robertsons into walking away from “Duck Dynasty”.

On Saturday, a Chinese lunar probe made the first soft landing anyone’s made on the moon since 1976.. October Sky author Homer Hickam wondered on Twitter if China might want to make a territorial claim on the moon, noting that the area the lander is exploring may contain an abundance of Helium-3, a potentially valuable fusion energy fuel that is found only on the moon. According to former astronaut / geologist Harrison Schmitt, China “has made no secret” of its interest in Helium-3. Schmitt observes, “I would assume that this mission is both a geopolitical statement and a test of some hardware and software related to mining and processing of the lunar regolith.” But will China try to claim the ground it explores? Possibly.

You know the town better than I ever will … isn’t it likely their are at least three major networks/studios trying to talk the Robertsons into walking away from “Duck Dynasty”.

PolAgnostic on December 19, 2013 at 2:10 AM

I’m sure they would be welcome at The Blaze.

And they could always go private and use an existing streaming set-up, like Amazon or open a Roku channel and form their own production company with help from their supporters. If you like the program would you kick in $25/year to see it and only it? That is the cost of a couple of pizzas, and I bet there are fans of the program that would put more into the production than just that. An appeal to the fan base to go into private production with their support is now something that can be done and on the relative cheap, what with the cost of digital video equipment and editing software dropping into the realm of mere everyday users.

So if the family put out a Kickstarter appeal for $100k to get a new, private show off the ground and set it at a month to reach that amount, how quickly could they do it? If they sought help from their fans to get decent advice for forming up a production company, or sought help from some of the smaller start-ups already doing this, would they not get it, as well?

Cable TV is about to come into the 21st century where the idea of fans purchasing access to PROGRAMS they like and that money going to production companies with NO intermediaries is going to be the end of 5000 channels and nothing to watch.

And do remember The Blaze has more subscribers than Oprah’s network has viewers and debuted with more viewers than MSNBC got in Prime Time. The world of TV is about to change forever, and that will be the end of the MFM and most likely the cable TV companies as well.

morning joe crew spends more time talking about pajama boy than phil robertson…wow

cmsinaz on December 19, 2013 at 6:34 AM

Just heard that Phil Robertson already has something like 48,000 likes on the “Bring Phil Back” Facebook page. I’m guessing that A&E (a blatantly pro-sodomy organization) is not so happy about their decision to regulate morality as liberals see it.

You know the town better than I ever will … isn’t it likely their are at least three major networks/studios trying to talk the Robertsons into walking away from “Duck Dynasty”.

PolAgnostic on December 19, 2013 at 2:10 AM

Discovery Channel is a logical bet.

Palin could also try to recruit them for the Sportsman Channel. Watch as those 14 million average viewers and Palin’s social media smarts turn that channel into a player.

The world of TV is about to change forever, and that will be the end of the MFM and most likely the cable TV companies as well.

ajacksonian on December 19, 2013 at 6:39 AM

Yup. Not only is there The Blaze, but there’s also Netflix for video-on-delivery, which they have done for a number of first-run series. (The revived Arrested Development, for one, is a Netflix-only show.) A joint venture between Glenn Beck, Netflix and the Robertson’s would be extraordinary.

Yes. My point is that the corporation owns the name, the brand, the footage, the series, the format. Neither the family nor any other entity could lawfully take that show anywhere.

The family might well try to ruin the brand, but in so doing they’d have to destroy their own business. I don’t see them doing that. Why should they?

thatsafactjack on December 19, 2013 at 1:42 AM

Ask David Letterman and Conan O’Brian when they left NBC. There’s always a workaround to be found with intellectual property without destroying the only brand that matters, which is the Robertson family themselves.

KJ,well done, as always. I particularly liked your bolded writing at the end!

Fallon, many a morning spent listening to Uncle Lare and Little Snot-nose Tommy. He always seemed old to me (as a teenager), his voice was definitely a cigarette and whiskey voice, I was startled to hear that he was only in his early 70s. My favorite spot of his was when he used to mock Jerry Taft and the “spaghetti incident” with his first wife.

Working outside in landscaping during my college days, we would take our breaks at the same time Animal Stories (Uncle Lare and Little Snot-nose Tommy) would come on so we could all gather around the radio and listen. There was many a day that I had tears running down my face from laughing so hard at their show. Looking back, those were beautiful, innocent days. As I said, he was one of a kind.